LIFE IN THE VILLAGE

DON'T STAY STUCK. YOU CAN DO BETTER

"It's never too late to start over again, If you were not happy with yesterday, try something different today.  Don't stay stuck, you can do better" This quote above, remind me of a friend who is very brilliant and intelligent, especially in quantitative subjects like Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Statistics, etc. His WASC results in these subjects and others were fantastic.  In fact he was offered a temporary teaching appointment in the Grammar School where he finished his secondary school education due to his high intelligent quotent in Mathematics in particular.  Yes he was offered an appointment to teach mathematics in  Junior Seconday School level for about an academic session.  He later sat for Jamb examinations for which cut-off marks is not challenge to him.  He chose the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-ife as his first and second choice knowing fully well that academically speaking, he is equal to the task.  He was admitted to read Statistics.  At this juncture, I would like to advise parent to monitor the performance of their child(ren) from primary school to secondary school so as to be able to assist in guiding the child in the choice of career to follow.  By this the child will not meander trying to figure out the career to follow.  My friend has no counsellor or guidance that will put him through on which career to pursue.  All he know is that any course in calculation is okay.  Unknowing to him Statistics is only good for those who can get job in the Government establishment like Population Commission, Budgetary office, etc.  This job is not just there due to large number of unemployed graduates in the country.  However, my friend study statistics up to 300 level, perhaps somebody inform him of difficulty in securing job with certificate in Statistics.  Or something else happened, all of a sudden, my friend make a U-turn, and change to another course that is professional and practicable.  He had to spend another 4 years pursuing a course in Building Technology.  Those of us who did not know what happened thought he was 

pursuing his Masters Degree programme.  He end up spending 8 years in the University and graduated with a degree in Building Technology thereby putting him at advantage of getting job faster than if he had completed a course in Statistics.  Today he's married and settle down in Lagos.  It is on record that it was the first job or should I call it contract that he secure that gave him the resources with which he rented an apartment, get married and settle down.  If he had got stucked and ended up with Statistics, he would have become frustrated as a result of joblessness. 

BE HONEST AND HAVE A STRONG MORAL PRINCIPLES

INTEGRITY

Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness. It is generally a personal choice to uphold oneself to consistently moral and ethical standards

Furthermore, according to Merriam-Webster, Integrity is defined as:

1          firm adherence to a code of (especially) moral or artistic values :  incorruptibility

2          an unimpaired condition :  soundness

3          the quality or state of being complete or un-divided :  completeness

Among other shortcomings of most of Small Scale Business owners is lack of integrity. 

The Importance of Integrity in Business
In the contemporary business world, integrity is one of the most sought-after qualities not only of individual employees, but of companies. An in-depth look at integrity reveals why it is so fundamental to business.
The Meaning of Integrity In Business
People often define integrity as doing the right thing even when no one else is around. It is the ability to act with honesty and be consistent in whatever it is you are doing based on the particular moral, value or belief compass you have. Beliefs, values and morals all relate to the culture in which you operate, so culture plays a role in determining exactly what integrity involves.
How is Integrity in Business Helpful
Trust
At the most basic level, all business relationships are built on trust. This is true for both employer-employee and company-consumer relationships. To trust someone or an agency means that you feel confident in their ability to be fair and respectful, do what was promised and act responsibly.
When trust is in place in a business, employers and employees are open with each other. They are not afraid to express their true views or opinions. This type of communicative environment lets employers give their employees a certain amount of independence, even when those employees are assigned to groups or teams. In return for this independence, employees exercise increased creativity, which ultimately lets a company or businessperson adapt to the ever-changing marketplace to stay competitive. Creativity also lets employees feel as though they have contributed something special, can be proud of their work and are more closely connected to the business. That feeling can keep employees from seeking employment elsewhere or asking for additional perks and compensation.
Trust and integrity are inextricably connected. Individuals and organizations use the presence or absence of integrity to determine whether an extension of trust is warranted. Business relationships halt or proceed based on this basic determination.

Reputation
Businesses are heartily concerned with their reputation—that is, they care what the public thinks about them. This is because reputation is connected to operations. The higher a company’s reputation, the more business it usually draws. The lower a company’s reputation, the harder it is for the company to gain and retain customers and workers.
When a company acts with integrity, it builds trusting relationships with employees and customers. Its reputation rises as a result, positively affecting productivity and sales. When a company fails to act with integrity, however, the public’s view of the business becomes more negative. Over time, this can mean customers turn away and employees leave, drastically lowering the company’s profit margin.

If your business is to grow therefore you must maintain high level of integrity. 

PUNCTUALITY IS THE SOUL OF BUSINESS

PUNCTUALITY
Punctuality mean arriving or doing something at the expected or planned time.
Other meaning according to Free Dictionary by Farlex are:

1. Acting or arriving exactly at the time appointed; prompt.

2. Paid or accomplished at or by the appointed time.

3. Precise; exact.

4. Confined to or having the nature of a point in space.

5. Linguistics Of, related to, or being the verbal aspect that expresses momentary action or action considered as having no temporal duration.

One of the essential factors in business growth is punctuality.
Most of the Small Scale business owners are lacking in this essential area

My observation has proved that most of the small scale business owners like Business Support Centre, popularly called "Business Centre" where you can photocopy your documents, make phone call, type your documents and probably browse through internet does not open for business until around 9.00 a.m. in most cases, by this time almost everybody that   may need their services like  making copies of  credentials to attend an interview or other documents like contract documents, bill of quantities, (BOQ), etc would have gone. Therefore a serious Business Support Centre should have  opened for business from 6.00 - 6.30 a.m everyday except Sundays  (may be).  This is because those who may want to attend an interview, etc  need their services at that time. Customers should be able to predict the opening hour of a good Business Support Centre at a given time. This will not only retain the customer, but it could also make the customer refer others to them.  Therefore if your aim is to see your business grow, then begin to practice punctuality.  There is a popular adage that says "Punctuality is the soul of business" To keep your business alive and growing be punctual.

According to “The Act of Manliness” (Est. 2009) in their article “A Man Is Punctual” enumerate the Importance of Punctuality as follows:

 “The habit of being prompt once formed extends to everything — meeting friends, paying debts, going to church, reaching and leaving place of business, keeping promises, retiring at night and rising in the morning, going to the lecture and town-meeting, and, indeed, to every relation and act, however trivial it may seem to observers.” –William Makepeace Thayer, Tact and Grit, 1882

Here’s why.

“I have always been a quarter of an hour before my time, and it has made a man of me.” -Horatio, Lord Nelson

Being punctual strengthens and reveals your integrity. If you tell someone that you will meet them at a certain time, you have essentially made them a promise. And if you say you’ll be there at 8:00, and yet arrive at 8:15, you have essentially broken that promise. Being on time shows others that you are a man of your word.

Being punctual shows you are dependable. A man can always be found at his post, carrying out the duties needful for that time. People know they can rely on such a man – if he says he will be there, he’ll be there. But if a man is not punctual, others cannot depend on him — they do not know where he will be when they need him. His associates will begin to feel he cannot organize his own time, and these doubts will seep into matters beyond the clock, as it naturally raises the question: “If he is careless about time, what else is he careless about?”

Benjamin Franklin once said to an employee who was always late, but always ready with an excuse:  “I have generally found that the man who is good at an excuse is good for nothing else.”

Being punctual builds your self-confidence. Showing up on time not only tells other people you are dependable, it teaches you that you can depend on yourself. The more you keep the promises you make, the more your self-confidence will grow. And the more you gain in self-mastery, the less you will be at the mercy of your compulsions and habits, and the more in control of your life you will feel.

Being punctual assures you’re at your best. After riding someone’s bumper, speeding like a maniac, scanning for cops, and cursing at red lights, it’s hard to then turn your focus to making a presentation at a meeting or charming a date – you’re shaky and depleted from the adrenaline and stress. But when you show up on time, better yet a little early, you have a few minutes to collect your thoughts, review your materials, and get your game face on.

“Soldiers should be minutemen. Punctuality is one of the most valuable habits a soldier can possess.” –Christopher Columbus Andrews, Hints to Company Officers on Their Military Duties, 1863

Being punctual builds and reveals your discipline. The punctual man shows that he can organize his time, that he pays attention to details, and that he can put aside this to do that – he can set aside a pleasure to take care of business.

“’There is great dignity in being waited for,’ said one who was in this habit, and who had not much of which he need be vain, unless it was this want of promptness.” –John Todd, The Students Manual, 1854

Being punctual shows your humility. That bumper sticker maxim: “Always late, but worth the wait” shows that tardiness and an overestimation of one’s worth sometimes go hand in hand. People will be glad to see you when you arrive, but they would have been gladder still had you come on time.

Being punctual shows your respect for others. Being late is a selfish act, for it puts your needs above another’s. You want an extra minute to do what you’d like, but in gaining that minute for yourself, you take a minute from another, which is why….

Being late is a form of stealing. That’s a tough truth, but it’s a truth nonetheless. When you make others wait for you, you rob minutes from them that they’ll never get back. Time they could have turned into money, or simply used for the things important to them. In coming to meet you at the agreed upon hour, they may have made sacrifices – woken up early, cut short their workout, told their kid they couldn’t read a story together – and your lateness negates those sacrifices. If you wouldn’t think of taking ten dollars from another man’s wallet, you shouldn’t think of stealing ten minutes from him either. Being punctual shows you value time yourself, and thus wouldn’t think of depriving others of this precious, but limited resource.

“It has been said that time is money. That proverb understates the case. Time is a great deal more than money. If you have time you can obtain money—usually. But though you have the wealth of a cloak-room attendant at the Carlton Hotel, you cannot buy yourself a minute more time than I have, or the cat by the fire has.” –Arnold Bennett, How to Live on Twenty-Four Hours a Day, 1910

How to attract and retain customers

1.  Be punctual at your place of business
2.  Be honest with your customers
3.  Let your price be reasonable
4.  Use quality materials if you are rendering services like tailoring, mechanics, etc
5.  Open your business earlier than other competitors
6.  Make research on your business and update your equipment and services
7.  Learn from the mistake or weakness of your competitors
8.  Update your knowledge regarding your business
9.  Show interest in their welfare
10. Maintain integrity

Business Growth tips

A business, also known as an enterprise or a firm, is an organization involved in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are prevalent in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and provide goods and services to customers in exchange for other goods, services, or money. Businesses may also be none profit or state-owned. A non-profit making business can be referred to as Public Corporation.  This type of business is meant to offer social service to the general public.  It is common in most of developing countries in Africa, Asia,etc. among them are Water Corporation, Railway Corporation, etc. A business owned by multiple individuals may be referred to as a company; otherwise known as Public Liability Company.

'If you want to grow successfully ask yourself - why are you different? Who (which customers) will value this difference?' Dr Greg Chapman, empowersolutions.com.au

Every business owner want to see his/her business growing, but most business owner lack the capability and essential knowledge that can help their business move from one level to the other.
below are five tips that can make your business grow

Good general management can produce organic, steady business growth. However, update and refresh your business with these five foundational steps in mind to see quantum leaps that are sustainable.

1. Have a vision and plan to get there

Understanding where your business is and where you want it to be is the first step in planning. Ask yourself 'What do you imagine your business to be in five years' time and how will this fit into your lifestyle?'

Make sure your plan:

• is simple (even if it's just one page)
• is not just ‘in your head’ or ‘in your bottom drawer’
• has any vision you choose but it must have one
• includes goals and steps to be taken to reach those goals
• aligns your business with family and lifestyle aspirations
• has mitigation strategies to cope with change, survive the bad times and prosper in the good

Whether you prepare it yourself or use a business professional for an objective outside view, remember the thinking that goes into a plan is as important than the document itself.

2. Be clear about your differences

Often businesses have a product or service and assume that people will love it or it’s enough to say ‘our product is great quality’. It’s not enough and if potential customers don’t understand why they should choose your business, they will judge on price alone.

If you want to grow successfully, ask yourself:

• why are you different?
• who (which customers) will value this difference?

When you promote a difference, identify what an outsider would see that would make this strength obvious to them. It must be something they can identify by one or more of their five senses, or else it is not real!

Include the answers in a marketing plan and don’t rely solely on organic word of mouth. Your objective is to create ‘top of mind awareness’ so that, anytime anyone in your marketplace needs or wants your product or service they call you first.

3. Build business systems to alleviate growing pains

Want to increase your efficiency by up to 30%? This is what good business systems can do for you. Without systems you just have a job with overheads.Like a brain surgeon who concentrates on just surgery and a pilot who flies by only six gauges in a cockpit, you can guide and monitor your business to produce consistent, predictable results.

Many businesses fail as they expand because their systems are inadequate.When developing systems:

• start with an organisation chart (even as a sole trader as this may give you ideas on what you can outsource)
• track the process from customer contact to payment to understand where you add the most value 
• identify major business operations (such as finance, administration, operations, people, marketing and risk management) and create templates or recipes for these activities

• teach any staff to use the systems because if the system is not followed, you don’t have one!

4. Align your staff with your business

Motivating staff so that your success is their success too is important. If your staff are aligned with your business, they will want success as much as your personal commitment to this goal.A good ‘people system’ will help attract and retain good people! Formalise roles for your staff for better understanding and accountability of the tasks for which they are responsible. Make sure your staff know what a good job looks like and reward good performance. If performance does not meet your expectations, help improve performance with options such as mentoring and training.

5. Be disciplined with your growth strategy

Working in small business can be a lonely pursuit. Imagine investing in developing your business and marketing plan, putting business systems in place, engaging your staff … then doing nothing with these things. Instead of seeing profits soar, your business stagnates or declines.Like a board does for a large company, you need to find a way of holding yourself to account if you have made a conscious effort to grow your business.

You could:

• talk to other business owners
• join a business peer group
• seek the services of an independent professional advisor   
• create your own 'board' of a couple of trusted people to check regularly on your progres

With personal investment often at stake, growing a business can be daunting and risky. It takes courage. Start planning your growth journey by creating a Mission Statement or a New Year’s Resolution for your business.